Knitting-machine



(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 1. B. HOLT.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 448,718. Patented Mar. 24, 1891..

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2'. B. HOLT.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 448,718. v Patented Mar. 24,1891.

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(No Model.) 7 SheetsSheet 4.

B. HOLT.

KNITTING MACHINE. No..448,'718. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

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KNITTING MACHINE. No. 448,718. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

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B. HOLT.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 448,718. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

NITED Srarns BENJAMIN HOLT, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

KNlTTiNG-MACi-HNE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 448,718, dated March 24, 1891.

Application filed October '7, 1889- Serial No. 326,185. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HOLT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Camden, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in KnittingMachihes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in knitting-machines of the class shown in the application of Salisbury and Wrightson,

led January 14, 1889, Serial No. 296,303, one feature of my invention being a substitute for the laterally-movable cam which in the Salisbury and rightsonmachine is employed in connection with bits of graded length on the needles to effect the dropping out of action or .the bringing into action of certain of the needles of the machine, and a further feature of my invention being the means whereby the needles out of action are freed from the in fluence of the drawing-down cam, so that the stitches carried by these needles are not subjected to strain and wear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of part of the needle-cylinder and cam-box of a circular-knitting machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of part of the cylinder and cam-box of the machine and of parts carried by the latter. Fig. 3 is asectional top view, partly in elevation, of part of the cam-box. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detached views of some of the needle-jacks. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are views of parts of the cam-operating mechanism. Fig. 10 is a detached view showing the needlelifting cams in their inoperative position. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of part of the needlecylinder. Fig. 12 is a sectional view of part of aknitting-machine of modified construction containing some of the features of my invention. Figs. 13 and 14 are longitudinal sectional views of part of the cam-box and needie-operating cam forming part of said ma chine, the cam being shown in different positions in the two views' Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the cam-box with the improved cam in elevation. Fig. 16 is a sectional view of part of the machine. Fig. 17 is a view illustrating a modification, and Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating means for operating the cam-actuating bar of the machine shown in Figs. 12 to 16.

In the machine shown in the Salisbury and rightson application above referred to a certain number of needles at each end of the set on which the narrowing and widening were to be performed were provided with bits graded in length, and the cam for actuating the needles was guided in the cam-box so as to be free to move toward and from the needle-carrier, so that as it was moved outward it passed by successive steps beyond the range of the successive graded bits and when moved inward was brought into range of these graded bits successively. In order to dispense with the necessity for this movement of the cam from and toward the needle-carrier, I use a compoundcam composed of a number of sections each of a width equal to the difference between the lengths of successive bits of the graded series, as many of these sections being employed in the cam as there are graded bits in the series and the sections being pivoted, so that when they occupy an elevated position they will act upon the bits to raise the same and the needles, but when in a depressed or lowered position will fail to so act.

In Fig. 1, A represents part of the needlecylinder, the needles of the same, and y the projecting bits of the needle-jacks, eachof the needle-jacks having an upper movable portion 1 for a purpose described hereinafter, and the needle-cylinder having projecting arms A, connected at the outer end by a ring A and having upwardly-projecting guidefingers A for the bits of the needle-jacks, as shown in Fig. 11.

The needle-cylinder A is mounted so as to be free to turn either continuously forward or first forward and then backward in a bear ing a of the fixed frame or bed B of the machine, and mounted on this fixed frame is a cam-box D, carrying the cams for elevating and depressing the needles of the cylinder.

There are in the present instance two lifting-cams E E and a single central drawingdown ,cam F, one of the lifting-cams serving to raise the needles when the cylinder is moved in one direction and the other serving to raise the needles when the cylinder is moved in the opposite direction, the drawingdown cam acting in either case. Each ofthe cams E is composed of one-half as many sections to as there are graded bits on the jacks of the needles constituting the fashioning set, these cam-sections being hung to transverse pins 11, carried by the cam-box, and being normally held in position to engage with the bits of the needles, as shown at the righthand side of Fig. 2, so that the contactoi' the moving bit with the projecting portion of the cam will cause the latter to swing upward on its pivot to the full operative position, as shown at the left-hand side of said figure, the means employed in the present instance for holding the sections of the cam in operative position being a plate (Z, secured to the cambox and having as many elastic lingersfas there are sections in each cam, each of these fingers having at the outer end a block g for acting upon the tail ends of the sections of the cams with which it coincides, and having also a stud t' bearing upon the periphery of a disk 7!, which is mounted upon a shaft or spindle j, adapted to bearings in the fixed frame of the machine, there being one disk for each pair of cam-sections, and the disks turning with the shaftj as the latteris intermittently rotated through the medium of a ratchet-wheel 7; and vibrating lever 7;, carrying a spring-pressed pawl 7: for engaging with the ratchet-wheel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Various means may be employed for vibrating this lever, one such means being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which the lever is bent inward for the action of an arm projecting from the lower portion of the needlecylinder, it being understood that the latter is provided with two of these arms, one for striking the lover and moving it in one direction at one limit of the vibration of the cylinder and the other for striking theleverand moving it in the opposite direction at the opposite limit of vibration of the cylinder.

If all of the sections of the cams are elevated, all of the needles will be acted upon as their bits are carried over the cams; but if the innermost section of each cam is allowed to drop the needle or needles having the shortest bits, which do not extend beyond the first sections of the camsas in Fig. l, for instancewill remain out of action, and by the dropping of successive sections of the cams the needles may be gradually dropped out of action until all the needles having graded bits have been thus rendered inoperative, whereupon by again raising the sections of the cams in reverse order the needles having graded bits may be brought intoaction again in an order the reverse of that in which they were allowed to drop out of action.

In order to provide for dropping the successive sections of the cams and subsequently raising the same, the disks controlling the canractuating fingers f have steps and recesses graduated in extent, so as to allow the cam-sections controlled thereby to remain out of action for a longer or shorter time, depending upon the radial position of said cam-secthe disk 1, Fig. 7, controlling the innermost sections of the cams, will be recessed throughout almost its entire periphery, having a pro jecting step 5- of limited dimensions, which serves to hold the innermost sections of the cams in operative position during the normal working of the machine for the production of tubular fabric, but which on the first movement of the shaft-j to commence the narrowing and widening operation drops said sections of the cams out of action and allows them to remain out of action until the narrowing and widening have been completed, the last movementot'the shaftjon the completionof the widening operation bringing the innermost sections of the cams into operative position again. The next disk has a recess of somewhat less extent, and hence a supporting-step of somewhat greater length, and so on. For instance, in the intermediate disk 10, Fig. 8, the supporting-step and the recess are about equidistant in extent, and the outermost disk 20, Fig. 0,has acontracted recess about equaling in extent the supporting-step ot' the disk 1, so that the outermost sections of the cams, when dropped out of action on the completion of the narrowing, will on the next movement of the shaft] be again brought into ac tion to start the widening.

If the fashioning-needles which are out of action are on each reciprocation of the needleeylinder brought under the control of the drawing-down cam F, the repeated movements of these needles, even though slight, has a tendency to wear the loops or stitches carried by the needles and subject them to undue strain, which may cause them to break. I therefore provide for releasing the fashioning-needles which are out of action from the influence of the drawing-down cam. This cam acts upon the radially-sliding portion of each jack and on the inner portion of the cam-box on each side of the drawing-down cam F, and beyond the lifting-cams E are cams G, while on the outer portion of the cam-box is a central cam ll, extending laterally some distance to each side of the drawing-down cam F. (See Fig. 3.

The cams G so act upon the sliding portions y of the jacks that before said jacks reach the lifting-cams E said sliding portion 3 of the jack will be pushed outward to such an extent that it will not come under the influence of the drawing-down cam F. If the jack is not raised by the lifting-cam, the outer end of the sliding portion 3 of the jack will pass beneath the cam ll. Hence said slide will remain beyond the drawing-down cam, and the jack will not be acted upon thereby. If, however, the jack is raised by the lifting-cam, the outer end of its slide will be brought un der the influence of the cam II, and said slide will be thereby pushed inward, so as to bring its inner end under control of the drawingdown cam.

In the simpler form of machine embodying my invention, which I have shown in Figs. 12 to 16, the means for releasing the jacks from the control of the drawing-down cam are dispensed with, and a single lifting-cam E, operating to raise the needles on either movement, is substituted for the two liftingcams shown in Fig. 2, it being understood that the drawing-down cam in this case is duplex, so as to draw down the jacks which have been elevated by either face of the lifting-cam.

The machine shown in Figs. 12 to 16 is a straight machine having a reciprocating cambox D, and the operation of the sections to of the cam is effected by a stepped lifterbar 72., mounted on the cam-box so as to move therewith, but free to move longitudinally thereon, the steps being so arranged that by moving this bar longitudinally on the cambox in one direction the sections of the cam will be successively lowered, and by moving it in the opposite direction said cam-sections will be successively raised in the reverse order. The movement of the bar h may be effected by pattern-chains P acting upon the ends of the bar as the latter is carried to right and left on the reciprocating cam-box D, the

links of the chain varying in height, so as to effect the desired series of intermittent movements of the barfirst in one direction and then in the opposite direction. A device of this character is shown in the diagram Fig. 18.

It is not necessary in carrying out my invention that the cam-sections should in all cases be pivoted, as said sections may, as will be evident,be guided so as to slide vertically, and the steps of the lifting device or the lower ends of the cam-sections, or both, may be beveled, so as to effect the raising of the cam-sections on the movement of the lifter. (See Fig. 17.)

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent- 1. The combination of the needle-carrier having needles with graded bits with a needle-operating cam composed of a series of sections free to move independently of each other to operative or inoperative position and means to effect such movement, whereby the needles having graded bits may be thrown into or out of action by the movement of the sections of the cam, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the needle-carrier having needles with bits graded in length with a needle-operating cam composed'of sections movable independently of each other to operative or inoperative position and a stepped lifter for acting upon the sections successively and moving them into operative or inoperative position, substantiallyas specitied.

3. The combination of the needle-carrier having needles with bits graded in length, a needleoperating cam composed of sections movable independently of each other to operative or inoperative position, blocks for acting on said cam-sections, and stepped disks for actuating said blocks, substantially as specified.

t. The combination of the ifting anddrawing-down cams, the needles having jacks with portions movable into and out of range of the drawing-down cam, and cams for acting upon said movable portions of the jacks to so move them into and out of range, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN HOLT.

lvitnessesz WILLIAM: D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH. 

